Transport Department

Do not overtake unless you are sure you can do so without causing danger to others as well as yourself. Before you start to overtake, make sure the road is clear far enough ahead and behind. Use your mirrors and signal before you start to move out. Be particularly careful at dusk, at dawn, in the dark and in mist, when it is more difficult to judge speed and distance.

On faster roads, vehicles may be approaching much more quickly than you think. Make sure that the road is clear for a long way ahead.

Once you have started to overtake, move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking and leave it plenty of room. Then move back to the left side of the road as soon as you can, but without cutting in.

Overtaking only on the right.

If the vehicle you are overtaking increases speed, drop back if necessary and return to your normal lane behind it. Ensure that the road behind is still clear by using your mirrors.

On a normal two-lane road, give way to vehicles coming towards you before you pass parked vehicles or other obstructions on the left-hand side of the road.

Do not increase your speed while being overtaken. Slow down, if necessary, to let the overtaking vehicle pass.

Overtaking a large vehicle

Getting too close behind a large vehicle makes it impossible to see far enough ahead. The 'A' car is too close. The driver of the 'B' car, who is keeping much farther back, has a much better view.

Overtaking on dual carriageways

Overtake only on the right. Never move to a lane on the left to overtake. You must not use a hard shoulder for overtaking.

Do not overtake unless it is safe for yourself and others. Many accidents on dual carriageways are rear-end collisions. Before you start to overtake, make sure that the lane you will be joining is clear far enough ahead and behind. Traffic may be coming up from behind much more quickly than you think. Signal before you move out. Be particularly careful at dusk, in the dark and in fog or mist, when it is more difficult to judge speed and distance.

Get back to the left most lane as soon as possible after overtaking, but do not cut in right in front of the vehicle you have just overtaken. Leave plenty of room.

Overtaking on expressways

On expressways, it is an offence to overtake on the left (see page 71).

You must not overtake

Road Sign

Sign marking the beginning of 'No overtaking'

You must not overtake

If you have to cross or drive on double white lines, with the solid line nearer to you.
If you are within the zigzag area of a 'Zebra' crossing.
After a 'No overtaking' sign and until the end of the ban.

You should not overtake

Where you cannot see far enough ahead to be sure that it is safe to do so, for example, when at or coming to a corner or a bend or the brow of a hill.
Where you might come into conflict with other road users, for example, at a junction, where the road narrows or on the approach to a pedestrian crossing.
Where it would involve driving over an area marked with hatched white lines.
On the approach to a tram stop.
When to do so would force another vehicle to swerve or slow down.
When to do so would force a pedestrian crossing the road to stop or run.

If in doubt - do not overtake.

You may overtake/pass on the left

When the driver in front gives a right-turn signal and you may overtake that vehicle on the left without getting in the way of others and without entering a bus lane during its period of operation.
When you want to turn left at a junction, you may pass on the left.
On one-way road (but not dual carriageway), you may pass on either side.
Where there are 'double white' lines along the road between you and the lane on the right, and both traffic streams are moving in the same direction, you may pass on the left.
When using marked traffic lanes, you may pass a tram on the left, unless the tram is stationary at a tram stop where there is no tram stop island.
When traffic is moving slowly in queues, and vehicles in a lane on the right are moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left.
When traffic is moving slowly in queues, you may move to a lane on your left only in order to turn left or to park. Do not change lanes to the left in order to overtake.